Air treatment systems provide a means for improving the quality of breathable air. These devices typically operate in one of two ways: by filtering out particulates and pathogens from the air, or by neutralizing a pathogenic threat in the air.
Air filtration systems may remove particulate or pathogenic matter from the air in a variety of ways. Typical filter-based purification systems trap or block airborne particles from passage through the filter. The type and size of the particulate or pathogenic matter filtered out of the air by an air filtration system is dependent upon the type of filter used, the number of filters used, and the complexity of the system, among other factors. As such, the effectiveness of a filtration system is frequently dependent upon its cost.
While air filtration systems may be used to purify the environment of a large structure, such as an air filtration system in a commercial building, there is a need for personal, mobile filtration devices. Mobile air filtration systems, such as gas masks, filter air inhaled by a user. Typical gas masks include a complicated filtration system in order to protect a user from a wide variety of contaminants. As such, in order to protect from a wide variety of contaminants, these filtration systems are often expensive, heavy and cumbersome.
In the alternative, other types of mobile filtration systems are typically comprised of a disposable mask with a cup-shaped member to place over the nose and mouth of the user. These face mask systems are typically inexpensive and lightweight. However, in the event of a pathogen threat, these masks do not provide the pathogen-filtration or neutralization components necessary to protect the user, as they are designed only for the removal of particulate matter. Furthermore, these masks do not create a pressurized seal to the face, which may allow contaminants to seep around the mask, rendering the mask ineffective.
In contrast to filtration systems, airborne pathogenic neutralization systems neutralize bacteria and viruses in the air. By rendering the pathogen benign, a pathogen poses no threat to the user, and thus there is no need to filter out the contaminant from the air. Photocatalytic oxidation, for example, oxidizes and degrades organic contaminants, thereby rendering bacteria and viruses benign. Photocatalytic oxidation, however, is an expensive process, as it is energy intensive and would be impractical to utilize in a mobile system. As such, there is a need for an airborne pathogenic neutralization system that may be inexpensive, lightweight and portable.
Thus, there is a need for a mobile, lightweight, inexpensive air neutralization system or self-contained breathing apparatus that can neutralize airborne pathogens before they harm the body. Specifically, there is a need for an antiseptic mask comprising an agent that neutralizes pathogens before they enter a user's respiratory system. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.